Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori was born in the town of Chiaravalle, in the province of Ancona, Italy. She was the first female physician in Italy by 1896. During her medical practice, Dr. Montessori began observing how children learn. She found that children learn from what is in their environment.

She returned to the university in 1901 to study psychology and philosophy. Dr. Montessori gave up her medical practice and her university chair in 1906 to work with the children in the San Lorenzo district of Rome. There she founded the first Casa dei Bambini, or “Children’s House”, where the Montessori method of education was founded.

Dr. Montessori concluded that children learn naturally “by doing”, by absorbing knowledge from their surroundings, as well their love and interest for manipulating materials.

Dr. Maria Montessori died in Noordwijk, Holland in 1952.